* * *
Percy suspectedhe was once again doing the wrong thing, but he couldn't help himself. He owed it to his family to extricate his brother Daedalus from the clutches of one of the most evil women in England. Now that his brother and fiancee were expecting an heir, he could no longer consider his own feelings in the dark work that had to be done to force Eleanor Goodrum out of his brother's publishing business.
This time he was scaling a garden wall that he'd had to reach by wading across a surrounding moat at the woman's Surrey estate, Hopewell Abbey. For his third foray, he'd obtained a set of well-worn clothing from his gardener. If he were caught, he could logically claim he was planting by the light of a full moon. Gardeners did that sort of thing, didn't they? He was sure he'd heard that somewhere.
Once he'd scaled the wall and threaded his way through a large orchard, he congratulated himself on his superior spying abilities. He stopped and waited at least an hour until the moon had moved its position closer to the horizon. There was nothing but ghostly quiet, and not a single soul had stirred within the manor house or within the orchard.
He straightened from his crouch, stretched and began a careful dash, seeking shelter behind one tree after another. His destination was a rear window where he hadn't seen any sign of light since the household had settled for the evening. He pulled a small knife from his pocket and pried at the bottom of the sash. Miraculously, the window was well oiled, not locked in any way, and raised with ridiculous ease. Stupid woman, not protecting her property as she should.
That was his last lucid thought before a heavy net encircled him, a group of hooded attackers trussed him up like a stag, and dragged him toward a waiting carriage. His cock roused from slumber and stiffened in anticipation of another sensuous ride, or two. Percy pressed his face against the harsh netting and tried to identify his assailants, just before they unceremoniously tossed him into the boot of the carriage, which promptly sped off into the night toward the gods knew where. He'd done it again. He'd underestimated the woman who now held him hostage in the flesh, not just in his nightly dreams.
The carriage rocked viciously over rough roads for several hours and he imagined she was taking him somewhere in London to complete his humiliation. His first inkling that something was wrong was when the distinct smell of the docks, sea water, dead fish, and decay assailed his nostrils.
The boot opened suddenly, and he was nearly blinded by the light of a lantern. The men in hoods were examining him to see if he was still in one piece. One of them started a slow chortle which turned into a full belly laugh. The other four joined in and soon the silent quay was filled with their laughter...at Percy's expense.
Eleanor Goodrum had better find somewhere to hide, because he was ready to turn the full power of the English government against her craven criminality. He would never allow her to humiliate him like this again. He stopped planning her demise when the netting that trapped him jerked free from the boot of the carriage and swung in a wide arc. Some sort of cable and tackle was being used to sling him aboard a ship. As he flew roughly through the air, he managed to see the lettering on the stern of the vessel:The Lady Muirgen.
10
EARLY JULY, 1826
GOODRUM'S HOUSE OF PLEASURE
El listened to Obadiah's report on what had transpired at her Surrey estate overnight and couldn't decide whether she wanted to crow in victory or cry in defeat.
"He did exactly what you expected he'd do."
"Were you ready for him?"
"Of course. It was easy, like picking off crows at a pile of refuse."
El nodded toward Hetty who was seated at a window bench mending one of El's many torn gowns. "Could you please check with the laundry to see if Lord James's shirts are ready?" Her lady's maid gave her a knowing look that reeked of pity.
"You don't know what you think you know." El's peevish tone only made her old friend smile and shake her head, but she moved quickly from the room, shutting the door behind her.
Obadiah watched until the door shut and then crept close to listen for Hetty's footsteps receding down the hallway. Only then did he return to El's side. "This has to beyourdecision," he intoned solemnly.
El paced from one side of the room to the other multiple times, lost in thought. Finally, she stopped. "Even though I am so tempted, my chest hurts, I cannot have a peer of the realm killed."
"What other choice do you have?"
She was silent for a long minute and then spat a question into the silence between them. Obadiah was her rock who'd been with her longer than any of her other associates. He knew exactly what she was capable of doing. "If you had loved someone so much, long, long ago, and then they came back into your life a different person...someone who was determined to destroy you. What would you do?"
He hesitated for only a moment. "That would depend."
"On what?"
"On how much I'd loved her, how much I was prepared to forgive her, and how much it would take to change her mind."
She was silent for so long after his answer that he began to shift his weight from one booted foot to the other, a familiar sign of impatience and itching from her old friend to get on with what needed to be done.
"I'm afraid if I let him continue on his current path, he could destroy me, and our entire business." She reached out and placed a hand on Obadiah's heavily muscled shoulder. "You know I would never risk that. I would never risk you and the others who have been so loyal to me over the years."
"We all trust you not to lose sight of what is at stake." He took her hand in his then and pulled her close enough to gaze into her eyes. "However, I know how long you've been alone and how hard you've struggled to provide a safe haven for all of us. Maybe it's time to think about a life for yourself." He moved away toward the door but turned back before leaving. "TheLady Muirgenis fully provisioned and ready to set sail for wherever you decide to go. I would advise against telling anyone but me what you plan to do with the duke."
"He's safely aboard and comfortable?" She asked, her voice faltering a bit.
"Aye, he's safe, but complaining...loudly."
